Before We Wake Up
by KisstheRain14
Summary: Collection of oneshots concerning our favorite coupling to date - Eugene Fitzherbert and Rapunzel. Whether angsty, funny, happy or sad, their lives can't really be called boring.
1. Broken Glass and Shattered Dreams

**I absolutely love this movie. Really.**

**I don't own anything you recognize.**

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She sits there on the cold tile floor, dim light surrounding her as she holds Eugene in her arms. His breathing shudders and finally halts, blood seeping out from his stomach and through his white shirt. She bends her head forward, newly shorn lock of hair falling into his face.

The broken glass and cut hair are on the floor around her, creating a look of chaos that is echoed in her soul. It's all her fault, she knows, and now she has no one to turn to for help. Mother Gothel is gone, and Eugene isn't coming back.

At least he came back for her while he could, she thinks. She knows that if it was possible, he'd return again. But not even Flynn Rider can escape death, no matter how invincible he thinks himself to be. The fabric of his vest is rough on her arms and she feels the heavy lump gather in her throat, hot tears stinging her eyes.

Nothing's easy in this world, she knows. But she never thought it'd be this hard, either.

Her hair had always been her gatekeeper - the reason she couldn't leave this tower. She'd always wished for it to disappear, to be gone. Now that it is, she can't help but wish desperately for it back. It feels like the universe is playing a huge cosmic joke on her now, and she vaguely wonders if this is just payback for what she did wrong.

_What once was mine, _she thinks, recalling the song.

The problem is, he never was hers. They tried. They really did. And for a few seconds on that boat, surrounded by softly glowing lanterns and new dreams, they got so close she could taste it. They were almost there... but then reality decided to step in.

They couldn't keep running forever, she knew. But now, she wishes they'd tried harder. They could've run as far and wide as the ends of the world. She would've gone, royal heritage be damned. Eugene was all that mattered, even then. She doesn't know when he became the focus of her life, but she doesn't want to remember a time before that.

She lets a tear fall onto his cheek, a bitter taste filling her mouth as brown locks of hair obscure her vision.

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**Yeah, this one's angsty. I'll make the next one happier, probably.**

**Review?**


	2. Shots in the Night

**Short bursts of thought that I incorporated throughout the movie. I don't remember the details very clearly, but work with me here. ;]**

_**Edit 3/16/11: To the anon who reminded me that Pascal was a chameleon, not a frog. Yes, I know that, but Flynn doesn't, remember? That scene near the beginning when Flynn points out how heartbroken Mother Gothel will be to see that Rapunzel has left, and offers to take her back to the tower. He's like, "Your pan; your frog." Brainwaves starting to hit?**_

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It's when she pulls his chair closer and it tips forward, the top of it catching against her palm. Her frog is on her shoulder and her frying pan in her other hand, her green eyes bright as they bore into his. In that one moment, that split second of time, he grasps just how powerless he is. He's wrapped up in her _hair, _for God's sake.

Earlier, when she stepped out into the light, his jaw had gone slack. Despite the frying pan, she had been lovely. But he took her to be one of those girls he could win over with a charming smile and a few pretty words. When he woke up for the second time with a knot on his head and a starting headache, he realized just how stupid that had been.

Now he sits there wondering if this girl will keep her word. Sure, she's promising, but he's been on the receiving end of too many broken promises to count. But the way she's saying it, the way her eyes widen... it leads him to believe that she's really a girl of her word. He knows right then that she's too innocent to know about trickery - to know about anything other than purity.

Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to trust this girl, after all.

But he has to try the smolder. He has to _try_ it.

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The tunnel is dry and cold, gusts of air blowing her hair back slightly. She feels the euphoria of a successful obstacle navigated rushing through her veins, proving her mother _wrong, wrong, wrong._ She feels daring, thinking rebellious thoughts like these. She's never seen her mother as anything but right, wise, her protector against this cruel world. But she's seen that there's goodness in this world, even in the hardened shells of these criminals and thugs. And she's also seen that she can get out of tight spots, that she can take care of herself.

The thudding of feet and yells of angry soldiers snaps her out of her ecstatic thoughts. Whipping around, she calls Flynn's name worriedly. He turns around as well, expression turning into one of shock. Then, just as she's about to freeze in fear, he puts a warm arm around her and tells her to run.

It's the first time they've touched.

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He knows he's going to die.

It's a strange feeling - he's used to slipping away and escaping with the treasure. If he's in danger, he at least has a chance of escape. Here, though, death is inevitable. The steady rise of water guarantees death by drowning. All because of that stupid, _stupid_ horse.

He dives down and scrabbles at the rocks below, unable to keep himself from searching for an escape. Old habits die hard, he thinks dryly.

Rapunzel copies him after he gives up, plunging head-first into the dark water. A shot of alarm runs down his spine and he drags her up, gripping her shoulders tightly. He tells her it's too dark, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. Then, as he dimly sees the defeat sink into her face, he drops his arms. To his horror, she starts to cry. He's really bad with crying girls - he's either the instigator or... uh, the instigator. But something about her - probably the hopelessness that has overtaken her usually-optimistic face - urges him to try.

So he does the only thing that occurs to him. He tells her his secret.

And in return, she saves their lives with her own untold truth.

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Wrapping her hair around his cut, she gives him a cautious look before singing the well-worn song. She focuses only on her glowing golden hair, preferring that sight to his face. She doesn't want to see the expressions that were probably flitting across his face - shock, uneasiness, maybe even revulsion? She doesn't think she could take it if he calls her a freak and takes off. She'd be lost in the middle of this forest, with no one but Pascal to guide her and nothing but her frying pan to defend herself. When the last word escaps her lips, she reluctantly looks up.

The inevitable freak out and the attempt to hold it in follows, but to her relief he doesn't run away. And so, maybe to get rid of tension or because she's genuinely curious, she asks about Eugene Fitzherbert.

She feels a connection spring up, something deeper than what she's used to. But then it's broken, and she doesn't know whether to feel relieved or disappointed. As he walks off to find firewood, however, she finds that she misses that feeling, although it was only for a moment.

And it's because of that connection that she loses courage when he reappears, and hides the satchel where he won't find it.

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When the little girls are done braiding Rapunzel's hair, he realizes just how beautiful she really is.

Then of course, Maximus has to butt his head in and raise his eyebrows to let him know exactly what his stupid horse brain is registering.

He pushes him away, unable to keep a small grin from unfurling across his face.

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She really thought they'd make it.

The boat was... magical. He'd pushed away the satchel and taken her instead, coming so close to actually kissing her -

But she should've known it was a joke, a trick, a well-played act. He knew that he was going to get the satchel in the end; why not mess with the girl whose heart you stole in the process?

Then again, she shouldn't be surprised.

If there's one thing she's learned, it's that he has a habit of losing things he's stolen.

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The pain is like ice and fire, twisting together to create something monstrous, unnatural, _unbearable._ But she's begging to heal him, bartering her freedom, and he knows that when she makes a promise, she never breaks it. Ever.

She scrambles to his side, hands cold and gentle on his face and chest as she flutters over him. His vocal chords are being strangely uncooperative as black spots start to crop up in his field of vision, dancing across her face and obscuring the lovely view. Even with tears in her eyes, she's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.

And she'll be locked away forevermore while he roams the world alone.

The shard of glass rips at his skin as he drags it across her hair, willing her to run as fast as she can without looking back. But she stays kneeling, a gasp of surprise escaping her lips as that evil witch of a woman tumbles to her death at the base of the tower.

It's ironic, he thinks. Only two days ago, he'd been sure he was going to die. Now, he knows with a somehow comforting certainty that this really is the end.

And like last time, he whispers a secret before the black overwhelms him, forcing him to forget everything but her face.

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She can't cry.

There's a hard lump in her throat and she can't swallow it, can't do anything but sing past it and hope to God that something will happen. But Eugene is limp in her arms and the world is cold, cold and dark and cruel.

Mother Gothel had always told her that the world was a bad place. This is the first time she's fully grasped that fact.

She wants to kiss him, but this isn't a fairytale. No kiss will revive the dead, and no amount of longing will change what has come to pass. She wishes she could die too.

A tear falls.

And she's blinded by the burst of light that pours forth from Eugene's body.

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There's music and dancing and drinking and laughing and crying and hugging and _bonding_. When he looks back, he can't remember much. Only blurs of light, happiness, and a shock of brown hair.

That's okay, though. It's the face that the hair frames that he's in love with, and the soul that the face is hiding.

Besides, hasn't he told her? He's always had a thing for brunettes.

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**I had to leave it on a happy note. After the angst-fest last chapter, I just kind of had to.**

**I have another idea, but I'm not sure when I'll get it down. Don't expect frequent updates, guys.**

**Review?**


	3. All About Us

**Because this song is just really cute, and Eugene/Rapunzel are really cute as well. Listen to the song and He Is We's other songs - I've fallen in love with their music.**

**Side note: Who named the kingdom Corona? It wasn't in the movie... Just a rhetorical question, don't bother answering. It's a clever name though, seeing as the emblem of the kingdom is a sun and the corona is a part of the sun... smart.**

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It was all quiet in the castle of Corona. The king and queen were dealing with internal affairs, the servants were going about their daily affairs, and the nobles visiting were all at peace. The princess had been back for almost a year now and the excitement had died down, although her presence in the kingdom was still considered a blessing. The famed thief Flynn Rider was still a guest in the castle, and all the rumors about his scandalous behavior and ulterior motives had scattered. The sun streamed in through the windows and everyone was content.

"_Eu_gene! You scared me!"

Eugene laughed almost soundlessly and, with his still-nimble fingers, plucked Rapunzel's paintbrush from her fingers. "That was my intention, Blondie."

"At least I didn't mess up my painting this time."

"Okay, that was _once_, and that was only because you jumped. Honestly, if you just stayed still when you were scared - "

"And that's possible how?"

"You can practice - here, I'll even help you out. Everyday from now on, I'll jump out at you randomly and you practice staying still! Problem solved."

"_Eu_gene."

He laughs again. "But Blondie, I'm bored."

"Help me paint?"

A snort. "Yeah right."

"Then what do _you_ wanna do?"

A grin unfurls on his face. "Come on."

He leads her to an abandoned room, the ceiling high and walls a light golden color. Every step they take echoes magnificently. In the middle of the room is an old phonograph, vinyl disks scattered on the floor around it. Rapunzel steps towards it in wonder, Eugene going in front of her and showing her how to work it. Crackly music pours out of the old machine, the notes light as they fly around the cavernous room.

"Oh, it's just like that music we had at the fair," Rapunzel breathes, both their memories going back to the first time they'd visited Corona together. The violin soars through the other instruments again, taking Rapunzel's breath with it. Then she turns to Eugene. "Ready?"

"For... what?"

"To dance, obviously."

"Excuse me?"

"Come on." She takes his hand and places it carefully on her waist, taking his other into her own small palm. "I didn't get to dance with you last time, remember?"

"I remember." His voice is softer, more careful. She smiles.

"Don't worry, just let me lead."

And then he's back, scoff caressing her ears as he mutters something about men leading. But then their feet are whisking across the floor as she sweeps him away and he finds that he can't really think anymore because _this, _this is what makes everything worthwhile.

He pulls her closer, a bravery sliding into his veins that's different from all the other times he's steeled himself - thievery, trickery, mockery and running far, far, _far_ away has nothing on holding Rapunzel this close. She inhales sharply and they step on each other's feet, laughing. Soon the music sorts them out again and they're moving, a little clumsy but a lot perfect.

The room is quiet. The vinyl disk crackles, and suddenly the music is softer, sweeter, smoother. Eugene's head rests on top of Rapunzel's as they both slow down instinctively. Soon they're just swaying back and forth.

They don't stop, even when the music does.

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_Do you hear that love, they're playing our song_

_Do you think we're ready yet, love I'm really feeling it_

_Lovers dance when they're feeling in love_

_Spotlight shining, it's all about us_

_It's all about us_

_Every heart in the room will melt_

_This is a feeling I've never felt_

_But it's all about us_

_All about us_


End file.
